Monday, November 7, 2011

Stay Thirsty, My Friends

Have you been waiting for this? The anticipated entry...

Well, it came and went. The Day of Days. Dia de los Dias. Marathon Sunday.

I keep getting asked how I am doing. Concerned (amazing) people in my life have texted and emailed and called to make sure I'm not halfway through a bottle of aspirin or enjoying a little trip down the Verrazano vertically. And it is appreciated. But actually, surprisingly, I had a pretty stellar day.

I'm not going to lie to you right now. Saturday was touch and go. In that I was cranky. I don't even think it went beyond that. But I did get a little moody. Oscar the Grouch-esque, if you will. But after a night of partying with friends and an extra hour of magic sleep, I woke up feeling rather refreshed and -- yes -- excited for the day that I had been somewhat dreading for weeks.

Kelly and her friend Mike came over early to watch Marathon coverage chow down on some bagels, and then we headed outside to watch the elite runners come through. As you may know, I live right on 1st Avenue at about Mile 16.5, which is an absolutely amazing location from which to cheer. People have entered the city, they're feeling renewed and rejuvenated, and it's really inspiring to see them doing so well. I've heard mile 23 ain't so pretty, but from my vantage point it was all butterflies and unicorns and happiness. So I'm going to pretend that's what a Marathon looks like.

Plus since my apartment is right there I have great access to a bathroom. Unicorns. Butterflies. Bathroom.

So we're watching the professional runners go by, and it's great. And then the rest of the crowd started coming, and that was freaking amazing too. I hadn't watch the marathon for a couple of years on account of living in Arkansas, so I had forgotten how inspiring it can be. People are blind, handicapped, survivors of diseases, fought in wars, overcome hardships...and they are running 26.2 miles. The emotional and physical toll of training can be intense without any obstacles and barriers in one's life, so it's really humbling to see those who run despite the craziness that life has thrown at them.

But aside from the inspiration...there is also the laughter. Because people wear some freaking amazing outfits. I mean, c'mon. There's running a marathon. And then there's running a marathon...as a PIMP.

The pimp (who, by the way, I did see with my own eyes) was glorious. But even more glorious were my fabulous friends who almost literally flew by me looking like they were out for a little jaunt. All of them. I was blown away by how strong they looked, how happy they seemed, and how proud of them I was in that moment! Shout outs are well-deserved to my peeps Sam, Nathalie, Frank, Mel, Jen, Alison, Amy and other Amy [Sidebar: my friends thought I was just really excited for Amys in general because you guys passed pretty close timewise to eachother...I had to explain that I just am so popular that I know copious amounts of marathoning Asian Amys. True story.)

When you're cheering for NY, it's great to call out people's names that they often have displayed on their shirts. It's fun, and it helps them. It was also fun because sometimes a friend would be calling out a name and then that person would run over and give them a big hug and a kiss. And then you'd be like, "Oh...that wasn't just any Andrew. That was the Andrew. Or so I hope...."

I personally saw a man displaying a shirt with Barney Stinson's face on it. As you may recall from the title of my blog and from half of the things I post on facebook, I am a slight fan of Barney Stinson. Slight. So when I saw this glorious sight go by I had to take a second glance. His shirt noted that he was a member of the "Awesome Club" and when I shouted out "Yeah, Awesome Club!" the gentleman looked to me and motioned that I should call him.

And that -- my friends -- is how you run a god damn marathon.

So, to sum up my story, on what could have been Doomsday I was positive and happy and cheering and genuinely really excited about my friends, the glorious weather, the amazing energy and the completely unique atmosphere of Marathon Sunday.

I was also really drunk.

So it just goes to show you that the old saying is truer now more than ever. When life gives you lemons...you should mull them with some cider and brandy and get yourself a To-Go cup.

And Who Exactly Are You?

Welcome to my blog! I started running for fun and for fitness, but mostly because I really love to eat. Although I've completed 17 Half Marathons and 4 Fulls, I still keep it real. Join me here as I strive to provide a smile and -- just maybe -- a bit of inspiration.